ABSTRACT

In this chapter, I present a study carried out with four 4-year-old children as they played with ‘loose parts’. The theoretical underpinning of the study combines Lev Vygotsky’s writing on play, Valerie Walkerdine’s work on shifts in discourse, and Anna Sfard’s definition of four characteristics of mathematical discourse. Taking the role of teacher/researcher, I observed the children’s engagement with mathematical discourse as they played. I compared their engagement when they played on their own, to their engagement when I intervened. My intervention consisted of commenting on their play and asking questions. My intention was to prompt a shift from the play discourse to mathematical discourse. I concluded that there was a notable difference in the children’s discourse when I intervened, with the children also beginning to attend spontaneously to number and quantity. In my role as teacher, I noted that children’s present knowledge of mathematical ideas was much more evident during the sessions when I interacted with them, rather than when I did not. In my role as researcher, I confirmed the importance of an adult’s role in the Early Childhood setting, and illustrate a possible theoretical interpretation of the oft-cited expression ‘learning mathematics through play’.